Actor Heath Ledger Dead at 28

heathledger.jpgAustralian movie actor Heath Ledger is reported to have died:

NEW YORK (CBS) ” Heath Ledger, who was nominated for an Oscar for his performance in the critically-acclaimed movie Brokeback Mountain, has died, sources tell CBS 2.

The Australian-born actor was just 28.

He was pronounced dead at 3:26 p.m. in his downtown Manhattan residence by his housekeeper, who discovered him in cardiac arrest and called 911, an NYPD spokesperson says. He was apparently scheduled to have a massage in his apartment this afternoon.

Sources tell CBS 2’s Scott Weinberger the death may be drug-related and that there were pills scattered around the room.

UPDATE (James Joyner): Allie has more at Gone Hollywood: “Heath Ledger Dies Aged 28.”

FILED UNDER: Obituaries, Popular Culture, , , , , ,
Dave Schuler
About Dave Schuler
Over the years Dave Schuler has worked as a martial arts instructor, a handyman, a musician, a cook, and a translator. He's owned his own company for the last thirty years and has a post-graduate degree in his field. He comes from a family of politicians, teachers, and vaudeville entertainers. All-in-all a pretty good preparation for blogging. He has contributed to OTB since November 2006 but mostly writes at his own blog, The Glittering Eye, which he started in March 2004.

Comments

  1. Christopher says:

    I guess that now there won’t be a sequel to “Brokeback Mountain”.

  2. FireWolf says:

    Oh Christopher you have little faith.

    With John Edwards on the planet we can seance Heath into doing the “Ghost at BrokeBack Mountain: the Sequel”.

    I know I can find a screenplay writer to do it.

  3. rodney dill says:

    or
    Brokeback Mounted

  4. rodney dill says:

    or
    Weekend at Brokeback Mountain

  5. Alex Knapp says:

    It’s a good thing that Ledger’s daughter is only two years old and so probably can’t read these comments.

    Once upon a time, it was polite to show respect for the dead. I guess not anymore.

  6. FireWolf says:

    Poor Alex, someday you’ll realize that Celebrity+Drug Issues (Prescription or illicit)= Plethora of ridicule and irony.

    Being a celebrity should be the most dangerous job on the planet because plenty of wealth means you have nothing better to do with that wealth but find destructive recreational practices.

    And that is the reason why Heath, John Belusi, Chris Farley, Jim Morrison, et al deserve to be ripped.

    It was a complete waste of human talent. That should be your tragedy.

    Now go back to your cartoons and nintendo games.

  7. Observer says:

    Firewolf,

    Being a celebrity should be the most dangerous job on the planet because plenty of wealth means you have nothing better to do with that wealth but find destructive recreational practices.

    Well, seeing as how the only drug found on the scene was Ambien, which Ledger was using to battle insomnia, coupled with the fact that he was battling a nasty case of pneumonia, it appears that his death was most likely due to a combination of drug side effects plus illness. In other words, not due to recreational use at all.

    Oh, I’m sorry, was I bringing facts into your party? It sucks when you can’t get on a big judgemental high horse, doesn’t it? I know what a rush you must get when you trash a successful person you’ve never even met so that you can feel better about your own life.

  8. FireWolf says:

    😀